TikTok faces an uncertain future in the United States as president-elect Donald Trump takes office. While Biden signed legislation requiring ByteDance to divest from TikTok by January 2025 or face a ban, Trump has shifted his stance from his previous call for a complete ban in 2020.

Trump now appears more supportive of keeping TikTok operational in the US, stating in a September campaign video "for all of those who want to save TikTok in America, vote for Trump." This change followed lobbying efforts by ByteDance investor Jeff Yass.

The platform currently has 170 million US users, and TikTok is fighting the potential ban through legal channels, arguing it violates First Amendment rights. The case is being decided by the Court of Appeals in Washington D.C., with possible escalation to the Supreme Court that could delay any ban until summer 2025.

Legal experts note the significance of the case. Alan Rozenshtein, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, emphasizes: "It affects 170 million Americans. It's a core First Amendment question. The Supreme Court has shown in the last few years that it cares about these digital First Amendment cases."

TikTok employees remain cautiously optimistic, with internal discussions about the ban being minimal. According to anonymous sources speaking to Wired, most employees believe the extended legal process provides job security in the immediate future.

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